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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22496977">Profound or Profane (they go by either name)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/maplewoodmoth/pseuds/maplewoodmoth'>maplewoodmoth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fly away home [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Harry is an awkward little bean though, He's gonna accept that love!!!, He's gonna be loved!!, M/M, Multi, They're BABIES though still so like. little steps, This is so much fun to write I absolutely adore Cho and Cedric, Threesome - F/M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:53:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22496977</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/maplewoodmoth/pseuds/maplewoodmoth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cho and Cedric know Harry's miserable, know he's lonely, since Ron broke up with him (they assume). So it's up to them to make sure that he's doing alright, even if they have to drag him up out of the doldrums themselves!! </p><p>It's no easy matter, however. Especially when they find themselves falling for this determined boy; with his heart too big and his smile so bright. </p><p>AU for Harry's 4th year, takes place at the same time as 'What it means to climb mountains'.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cho Chang/Cedric Diggory/Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Ron Weasley (assumed incorrectly), Hermione Granger &amp; Harry Potter &amp; Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fly away home [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1394524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>:3. I've been inspired and motivated to write more for the series, so have a little of Harry/Cedric/Cho while I figure out how I'm going to end 'What it means to climb mountains'.</p><p>Enjoy and please comment or kudos!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry and Cedric have been meeting up prior to the first task to just. Talk a little. Harry is awkward, like for sure: he’s got a crush on the man’s girlfriend but. Well, his brain short-circuits around Cedric whenever he smiles and he’s so kind and supportive too? And he makes Harry feel normal, like the way he does with Ron except in a less effortless way. Not like he’s forgotten about it from the familiarity after so long, but in a way that means he recognizes Harry as his past, but as his future too. Recognizes that he’s just a lost kid, trying to fit into a legacy that’s the wrong shape for him. </p><p>So Cedric makes him feel, acknowledged in a way that being with Hermione and Ron doesn’t. Makes him feel warm and seen and just. Like a person, which for some reason is different that being seen as Just Harry. </p><p>He knows he’s different for plenty of reasons, knows in the way that he has since he was young and called freak for so many different reasons, that he’s forgotten, the harsh pain fading into a sort of dulled constant stinging, like a bone deep bruise that remember’s pain when it’s poked. It’s all faded to a sort of background noise at this point, constant and pervasive and there. It’s all different reasons why he’ll never fit in properly but can never remember the specifics, the pain of the past blurred like water-color with too little definition and too much shading. </p><p>His feelings are just another thing that makes him abnormal, so Harry does what he does best: swallow them down and pretend they don’t exist. </p><p>Ignoring the problem like he usually would: in this case, Cedric and Cho, wouldn’t work. They seek him out, avoidance is hard and doesn’t work, they just find him anyway, clear and concise in their worry for him and after a while he just, stops trying to distance himself. The company is nice, he defends to himself, he’s lonely in a way that talking with Hermione doesn’t help. It’s not at all because they play Quidditch well or when they smile at him he feels like he has a fever. Or because Cho helps him with his Charms and color codes her notes in a way that he finds endearing; or because Cedric throws his scarf around Harry’s neck one day without a thought in the world when he notices him shivering for having underdressed. How he throws his arm around Harry’s shoulders too, protecting him and making him feel safe in a way he usually doesn’t feel outside of spending time with Ron and Hermione and Hagrid. </p><p>It’s better this way, it’s nice to not be alone, it’s good to have friends, Harry tells himself, feeling so convinced that he almost can’t tell he’s lying to himself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cho's turn!!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cho is kind. They meet up at the Owlry every Friday, chat while they care for their owls, Hedwig preening beneath his gentle ministrations and treats and whispered compliments. She cries a little, homesick and heartsick and embarrassed at being caught worried for the champions when she knows they probably don’t need her sympathy. </p><p>“You’re all so capable” Cho says quietly, petting her great-horned owl, “I know this, I’ve seen you and Cedric compete against my house for years in Quidditch, I’ve seen the way he practices so hard at Transfiguration and makes sure everyone feels confident before a test. I’ve watched you face off against the curse of the Defense teachers roughly 3 times Harry, I know how hard you work to be seen and how everyone treats you when they think you’ve stepped a toe out of line. You’re so beyond everyone’s expectations, it's kind of funny” She snorts, before wiping her runny nose on her uniform sleeve for lack of a handkerchief. </p><p>“I know you don’t need sympathy, I just can’t help but worry.” Harry feels so off kilter he doesn’t know how to respond; heart-to-hearts are not his sort of confidence, but it’s kind of gratifying that she cares, that Cho’s trying to show her support through empathy. He’s not used to a lot of that outside of the Weasley's and Hermione and now Sirius and Lupin. It’s. Comforting, even if he’s not sure how to deal with teary eyes and wobbly smile, Harry still does his best to smile back. </p><p>“Well you’re one of the few I know who’re cheering for me then” Harry grins, “makes me feel better about it, all the death-defying stunts and everything.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cho and Cedric both have heard from Harry how he feels abandoned by Ron, how he’s frustrated and tired and just. Lonely. Their conversations help, but it’s not like they see each other so often, being the year difference and class schedule difference and time management issues and all. </p><p>Harry’s never direct, never open emotional, but Cedric and Cho are perceptive; used to being there for people in subtle ways: Ravenclaw is always about looking underneath the underneath to find unconventional solutions and responses to unconventional questions. Hufflepuff is all about supporting other people when they don’t want to show how they’re hurting and just, being supportive in whatever way you can. </p><p>They know what it’s like to have terrible arguments with friends and family, but the way that Harry speaks about Ron, abandoned and alone by someone who he’s thought by his side for so long, that speaks of a greater divide. </p><p>Kind of like a breakup. After all, they agree, it’s rare to see Harry without Ron and vice versa. </p><p>And well, they know how it is, how it looks. It’s not uncommon for roommates to date each other and Potter and Weasley are especially joined at the hip. They’re thoughtless, with the way they fit together. Like sure Hermione Granger is definitely part of the trio of HarryRonHermione, but the way she fits around them, fits into the puzzle is different than the way that Harry and Ron are so inexplicably tied around each other. The way they orbit each other’s moods, the effortless way they exchange ideas in sync. They fit. </p><p>Cho and Cedric agree, that they’re definitely soulmates, though whether platonic or romantic they can’t seem to decide on. Cedric argues that of course it’s romantic, ever the fanciful one, while Cho argues that it’s platonic, ‘look at her and Marietta, Ced, devotion doesn’t have to be romantic in order to be meaningful. You’re just buying into stereotypes.’</p><p>Either way, they agree, they have to get Harry and Ron back together, whatever their relationship may be. Harry is miserable and they have decided for, not completely unselfish reasons, that they want to see him happy again. To see Harry smile and be comfortable in his own skin again.  </p><p>Cho knows that they help Harry feel less lonely, not in the same way that Hermione does of course, since she’s one of Harry’s best friends and all. But it still hurts her heart to see him so frustrated and distant. He’s a good person, growing into being a good man, and Cho’s glad that she and Cedric get to see sides of him that few others get to see.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They’re not completely altruistic for their reasons though, they admit to themselves late at night. Ced’s noticed how his eyes stray towards Harry’s fly-away hands when he gets excited, how Cho’s eyes watch his mouth when he talks, when he smiles at them. The way he is so self-contained and smiles so rarely, especially these days, that making even the smallest smile appear is an extraordinary win, deserving roaring success and applause (though Cho restrains herself admirably). Cedric is the first to admit it, softly, quietly to Cho during one of their study dates on the Great Lawn, in between talking about Quidditch and the Tournament, the Tournament and Harry, Harry and Quidditch and Just Harry. Always ‘just’ Harry. </p><p>Cho lets out a hysterical giggle. Cedric sighs. </p><p>“We fancy him, don’t we,” He admits, quietly. </p><p>“Of course not!” Cho denies immediately, without hesitation, as if she’s been waiting for him to say it aloud. </p><p>“Ok maybe we don’t fancy him,” Cedric agrees, “then what happened to our plan to get Harry and Ron back together?”</p><p>Cho falters, wavering a bit in her indignation, before firing up again, this time in rebuttals: “He’s our friend! He’s sad and emotionally vulnerable! That would be taking advantage of him, which is the last thing he needs, on top of everything else.” She whispers frantically. </p><p>“We CAN’T fancy him.” She finishes with a gust. </p><p>“Well maybe you can’t but I can,” Cedric teases, “I’ll have him all to myself then.”</p><p>“Oh! You- you cheater!” Cho says, caught off guard. </p><p>“Can’t be cheating if there’s no competition~” Cedric wheedles at her, and she can’t help but laugh at him. </p><p>Cho laughs until her sides hurt, and then she laughs some more, giggles turning into gasps, turning into tears and great wheezing breaths. Cedic spends the whole of her panic attack rubbing soothing circles on her back, and counting his own breaths until she remembers how to breathe on her own. When she does, wiping away the tears from her face, she thumps her back flat onto the grass and stares at the sky to avoid his gaze. </p><p>“So what if I fancy him, what if we fancy him- then what?” Cho mumbles.</p><p>“He reciprocates and we all live happily ever after.” Cedric says studiously, words and tone serious, so serious that Cho has to look at him to check that he’s actually smiling like she knows he is. </p><p>“And actually?” She says.</p><p>“He doesn’t know what to feel like because he’s never liked more than one person before, so he avoids us for a while and then it’s awkward for a while, but when I get horrifically wounded in the next event he realises his repressed feelings for us and then we all snog each other silly.” </p><p>“Ced!!” Cho’s giggling softly again, no panic behind it this time though. </p><p>“Ok ok!! I’m. Well. I don’t know alright? It’s just- how can we know until we try it at the least?” Cedric leans back as well, putting his head on her shoulder, a comforting and familiar weight. </p><p>“But what about Ron? You know how Harry fancies him. They’ve been together for ages, and the fact that they’re not together now, it’s like- it’s like a body missing an arm and a leg; butterbeer missing the caramel and butter; Nott the Brave missing Caleb the Mage! It’s unnatural, it’s strange, it’s--”<br/>“--It’s lonely.” Cedric finishes. “He’s lonely, yeah,” he sighs. “I just. I like him so much? And I know Harry deserves to be happy-”</p><p>“-Which he was with Ron.” Cho interjects. </p><p>“Which he was with Ron, is with Ron.” Cedric pauses unhappily. </p><p>“So we like him” Cho says gently, petting Cedric’s hair, “but he’s missing his boyfriend, so we have to be good friends and support him.”</p><p>“We- yeah. We should probably do that.” Cedric says unenthused and Cho hums sadly in agreement. </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>They don’t talk for a while after that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If there are any other rarepairs that you'd like to see (such as Ginny/Luna, Neville/Draco, Blaise/Ron etc.) in this 'verse or outside, just submit a prompt and a pairing in the comments (or on my tumblr) and I'll see what I can do! I'm trying to stretch out my writing muscles and rarepairs is how I'm gonna do it!! Heads up though, I'm a fluff writer for the most part. I don't do major angst. </p><p>It may take a while for me to get them done depending, so please be patient. Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>HAHA I HAVE TRIUMPHANTLY RETURNED WITH THIS *checks notes* 214 WORD CHAPTER. ENJOY!</p><p>(i have no idea what the fuck i'm doing someone please help me)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry and Ron go together for the Yule Ball.</p><p>
Cho and Cedric fist bump each other, in between stealing Harry for dances and making him laugh as they bust out into the most ridiculous moves they can think of, to make him smile. 
</p><p>
McGonagall looks like she’s caught between laughter and being appalled, her face red from restraining herself from either reaction, Cho swears she sees her wink at them though. 
</p><p>
‘Swear it on my broom Ced! God she looked almost approving!’. 
</p><p>
And Flitwick definitely thinks the whole thing is hilarious, giving Cho a blatant thumbs up before loudly talking about preposterous dance moves that Cho absolutely tries immediately, to the detriment of Seamus and Dean Thomas when she then trips over and falls onto them as they waltz past. They, thankfully, laughingly haul her back up and attempt a three person waltz, which she goes along with of course, at least until Cedric steals her back. Harry’s too busy laughing on the sidelines to something that Ron said to notice, having slipped away when she was caught up being ridiculous. 
</p><p>
“We did a good thing” Cho says, “but why does it feel like we lost something?” She sighs into Cedric’s shoulder as she rests her head there. 
</p><p>
“I know”, Cedric sighs, “I know.”
</p>
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